Holder for sheet material

ABSTRACT

A support for holding sheets of flexible material such as paper, plastics and thin metal foils. The support includes an elongated frame which may be tubular or channel shaped and includes a base and side walls which defines a cavity which extends lengthwise of the frame. A U-shaped loop formed of a flexible, resilient plastic has a bail connecting a pair of legs. Each leg terminates in a distal end. The U-shaped plastic loop is positioned in the cavity of the frame with the bail of the U-shaped plastic loop extending outwardly of the cavity and the distal ends of the legs engaging the frame. The legs of the U-shaped plastic loop cooperate with the side walls of the frame to receive and retain sheets of flexible material inserted into the cavity between the U-shaped plastic loop and one of the side walls of the frame. The legs of the U-shaped plastic loop may be formed with feet that are seated in slots formed in the elongated frame. A pocket may be formed in a side wall of the support for holding objects thicker than sheets of materials.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a holder for sheet materials including plastics, paper and other semi-rigid materials such as thin metal foils which holder can be supported on a horizontal surface such as a desk, table, counter top or can be attached to a vertical surface such as a wall.

Prior sheet materials holders such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,517 have used a frame of extruded aluminum and an anchoring leaf spring formed from spring steel or other similar materials to clamp the sheet of material into the holder.

The sheet materials holder of this invention utilizes a frame formed of a rigid material such as plastic, metal, ceramic or wood and a plastic loop positioned inside the plastic frame. Similar plastic loops are used in storage racks such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,936,469; 5,718,342; 5,779,006 and 5,915,573 among others. However, the loops in these prior storage racks are intended to support objects such as tools, writing instruments and other types of objects which are much heavier than the flexible sheet materials intended to be supported by some of the embodiments of the holder of this invention. The loops of the aforementioned patents are made of tough resilient abrasion resistant resins preferably a polyester resin or laminate. The preferred construction for such prior art retainer loops is two layers of oriented polyethylene terephthalate laminated to a core layer of polyethylene.

An advantage of this invention is that the retainer loop may be made of a simpler polymer which, while sufficient for the function of this invention, is much less expensive to manufacture.

Another advantage of the sheet holder of this invention is that retainer loops made of the simpler polymer herein described may also be used to support heavier objects such as small tools, writing instruments and similar objects by varying the structure of the sheet holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the flexible sheet holder of this invention with a sheet of flexible material supported therein and portions of the sheet holder broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of a second embodiment of the flexible sheet holder of this invention with a sheet of flexible material supported therein;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 4 with the sheet of flexible material omitted;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the holder of FIG. 4 with the sheet of flexible material omitted;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of a third embodiment of the flexible sheet holder of this invention which may also support heavier objects;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the holder of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of the sheet holder of the invention is shown in FIG. 1-3 of the drawings. In this embodiment, a sheet holder 11 is formed of a rigid plastic in the form of an elongated tube 13. Although the preferred embodiment is formed of a rigid plastic, the sheet holder may also be formed of other rigid materials such as metals, ceramics, wood, etc.

The tube 13 is formed with a base 15 which may have a flattened outer surface 17 to provide greater stability on a supporting surface. Additionally, the tube has side walls 19 each having an end edge 21. The side walls 19 converge with their end edges 21 terminating short of each other providing an opening 25 into a cavity 27 of the elongated tube 13.

A U-shaped retainer loop 29 is provided which functions as a biasing member to hold one or more sheets 31 of a thin flexible yet somewhat rigid material such as paper of plastic sheets in the sheet holder 11. The retainer loop 29 may be formed of a suitable plastic such as a polymer, preferably polyethylene, which may be laminated. Although the retainer loop may be formed of a strip of a tough, resilient abrasive resistant resin such as the retainer loops presently used in storage racks and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,469, it is an advantage of this invention that a simpler and less expensive plastic may be used to form the retainer loop of this sheet holder.

The U-shaped retainer loop 29 is formed with a bight portion 33 joining a pair of legs 35 and 37, each leg terminating in a distal end 39, 41. The retainer loop 29 is positioned in the cavity 27 of the tube 13 so as to extend through the opening 25 with the bight portion 33 of the retainer loop 29 located outside of the tube 13 and the two legs 35 and 37 of the retainer loop located inside the cavity 27 of the tube. The legs 35 and 37 engage the end edges 21 of the side walls 19 of the tube. The distal ends 39 and 41 of the legs may resiliently engage the side walls 19 of the base 15 of the tube or may be anchored in slits 43, 45 formed in the walls 19 or the base 15. The distal ends of the legs may be retained in the slits by friction or by suitable adhesives.

An end of a sheet of material 31 is inserted into the cavity 27 of the sheet holder 11 through the opening 25 and between an end edge 21 of a side wall 19 of the tube and a leg 35, 37 of the retainer loop. The biasing force exerted by the loop against the sheet of material retains the sheet of material in place. As shown in the drawings, the end of another sheet of material may be inserted into the cavity of the holder between the other end edge of the other side wall of the tube as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. It should be understood that more than one sheet of material by be inserted between each end edge of the tube and each leg of the retainer loop.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. In this second embodiment, a sheet holder 61 is formed of a rigid plastic in the shape of an elongated channel 63. As previously discussed, the sheet holder 61 may also be formed of any other suitable rigid material such as metal, ceramics, wood, etc.

The elongated channel 63 is formed with a base 65 having a flat bottom surface 67 and side walls 69 and 71 upstanding from the bottom surface 67. The side walls 69 and 71 each terminate at their upper ends in a rounded, inwardly projecting lip 73, 75, respectively. The inwardly projecting lips 73, 75 terminate short of each other to define an opening 77 into the cavity 79 defined by the base 65 and side walls 69 and 71 of the elongated channel 63.

A U-shaped retainer loop 81 functions as a biasing member to hold one or more sheets 31 of a thin flexible yet somewhat rigid material such as paper, plastic or thin metal in the sheet holder 61. The U-shaped retainer loop is formed of the same material as previously described for the retainer loop 29. The retainer loop is formed with a bight portion 83 joining a pair of legs 85 and 87 each of which terminates in an outwardly extending foot 89, 91. The retainer loop 81 is positioned in the cavity 79 of the elongated channel 63 with its feet 89, 91 resting on the bottom surface 67 of the base 65. The outer ends of the feet 89, 91 are anchored in slots 93, 95 formed in the side walls 69, 71. If needed, the feet 89, 91 may be adhered to the bottom surface 67 of the base 65 but in the alternative may be retained in position by the resilience of the retainer loop 81 engaging the lips 73, 75 of the channel 63. A spacer rib 97 is formed integrally with the base 65 to maintain the feet 89, 91 and legs 85 and 87 in their spread apart positions.

The ends of one or more sheets of material 31 may be inserted into the cavity 79 of the channel 63 passing through the opening 77 between a lip 73 of a side wall 69 and a leg 85 of the retainer loop and may rest on the bottom surface 67 of the base 65 of the channel as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. Additional sheets 31 may be inserted into the sheet holder 61 between the other lip 75 and the other leg 87 of the retainer loop.

The side walls 69 and 71 of the elongated channel 63 may be straight or may be slightly bowed as can be best viewed in FIG. 5 of the drawings. Slightly bowing the side walls 69 and 71 and their lips 73 and 75 will impart a slight bow to a sheet of material 31 as it is inserted into the holder 61 thus providing an additional rigidity to the sheet of material and increasing its ability to remain upright in the holder.

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings. In this third embodiment, a sheet holder 101 is formed in the shape of an elongated channel 103 having a base 105 with a bottom surface 107 and side walls 109 and 111 upstanding from the bottom surface 107 defining a cavity 112. The side walls 109 and 111 each terminate at their upper ends in a rounded, inwardly projecting lip 113, 115 respectively. The inwardly projecting lips 113, 115 terminate short of each other to define an opening 116 into the cavity 112 defined by the base 105 and side walls 109 and 111 of the elongated channel 103. The side walls 109 and 111 are notched on their inside surfaces to form pockets 117 and 119 which extend longitudinally of the channel 103. J-shaped notches 121 and 123 are formed in the side walls 109 and 111 immediately above the base 105 of the sheet holder 101. Channels 125 and 127 are formed on the underside of the base 105 beneath the J-shaped notches 121 and 123 forming wall portions 129 and 131 of reduced thickness. The wall portions 129 and 131 of reduced thickness permit the use of a punch to deform the wall portions to lock the feet of the U-shaped retainer loop in position. A spacer rib 133 is formed integrally with the base 105 and extends longitudinally of the sheet holder 101

A somewhat U-shaped retainer loop 141 fits into the sheet holder 101 between the side walls 109 and 111 with a bight portion 143 extending outwardly above the lips 113 and 115 of the side walls 109 and 111. The U-shaped retainer loop has generally straight legs 145, 147 with feet 149, 151 respectively which fit into the J-shaped notches 121 and 123 formed in the sheet holder 101. The feet 149, 151 each have an upturned toe 153, 155 extending into the notches to secure the legs 145, 147 in position against the lips 113, 115 of the side walls 109, 111 of the sheet holder. The legs are held in their spread apart position by the spacer rib 133 which engages the lower portions of the legs as shown most clearly in FIG. 7 of the drawings.

The ends of one or more sheets of material may be inserted through the opening 116 into the cavity 112 of the sheet holder 101 passing between a lip 113 and a leg 145 of the retainer loop 141. The sheets of material may also be positioned between the lip 115 and a leg 147 of the retainer loop 141. Larger articles such as pens, pencils, etc. may be inserted between a lip 113, 115 and a leg 145,147 of the retainer loop 141 to be retained in one of the pockets 117, 119 with the article being held between a leg 145, 147 of the retainer loop 141 and a side wall 109, 111 of the sheet holder 1 01. Thus, the sheet holder 1 01 of this embodiment of the invention may also support objects heavier than sheets of materials, such as paper, plastic, etc. without requiring the use of the expensive prior art retainer loops. 

1. A support for holding sheets of flexible material, said support comprising: an elongated frame, said frame including a base and a pair of side walls upstanding from said base, said base and said side walls defining a cavity extending lengthwise of said frame, a U-shaped loop formed of a flexible, resilient plastic, said loop having a bail connecting a pair of legs with each leg having a distal end, said U-shaped loop located in said cavity of said frame with said bail extending outwardly of said cavity and said distal ends of said legs engaging said frame, and said legs of said plastic loop cooperating with said side walls of said frame to receive and retain at least one sheet of a flexible material inserted into said cavity between said plastic loop and one of said side walls of said frame.
 2. The support of claim 1 in which said elongated frame is tubular and said side walls converge towards each other to define an opening into said cavity for receiving said bail of said U-shaped loop and at least said one sheet of a flexible material.
 3. The support of claim 1 in which slots are formed in said frame and said distal ends of said legs of said U-shaped loop are received in said slots.
 4. The support of claim 1 in which each side wall terminates in a lip at its upstanding end with each lip extending over said cavity towards the other tip of said lips to define an opening into said cavity for receiving said bail of said U-shaped loop and at least said one sheet of flexible material.
 5. The support of claim 1 in which a foot is formed at the distal end of each leg of said U-shaped loop and each foot engages said base of said frame.
 6. The support of claim 5 in which a spacer formed on said base separates said feet.
 7. The support of claim 1 in which said side walls of said frame are curved in similar arcs to impart a strengthening bend to a sheet of a flexible material inserted into said cavity between said plastic loop and one of said side walls of said frame.
 8. The support of claim 4 in which said lips of said side walls are curved in similar arcs to impart a strengthening bend to a sheet of a flexible material inserted into said cavity between said plastic loop and one of said lips.
 9. The support of claim 1 in which J-shaped slots are formed in said frame, a foot is formed at the distal end of each leg of said U-shaped loop, a toe is formed at the end of each of said feet with said feet and toes of said legs seated in said J-shaped slots.
 10. The support of claim 9 in which said base is reduced in thickness adjacent said feet of said U-shaped loop.
 11. The support of claim 1 in which a pocket for receiving objects is formed in a side wall of said frame. 